


Making 'Family'

by Kajos



Series: Finding 'Family' [2]
Category: Stargate - All Series, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kajos/pseuds/Kajos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The journey continues as John and Rodney attempt to change legislation to allow them to keep their children and struggle with their own fears of parenting</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

John fidgetted all the way through the mission debrief. He just wanted to go get his medical and make sure Rodney was okay. He hadn't been looking great and had nausea when he left a few days ago and it had been eating at John the whole time.

"Well, I think that's everything." Dr Weir finally said. John was out of his seat before she finished the sentence. Weir just smiled at his second in command EL who had been on the mission with him.

"That bad?" She asked.

"You have no idea, ma'am." He said shaking his head and smiling a little at his memories of the last few days. EL loved this assignment, General JO had told him the place was relaxed and suited him but he hadn't expected this. EL was a rarity in the armed forces, he had only come into the proffession at the age of 8. Before that he had been training as a designer and painter. After his parents were killed though he lost all feel for art and left in the hands of the state had been reluctantly placed into the military. He had since discovered an apptitude for paperwork and was an excellent SIC. Plus since his arrival in the beautiful alien city he had also refound his muse. He loved Atlantis and he loved to see his CO and his husband, the man was every inch a commanding officer until his love walked into the room and he transformed into the conscerned spouse.

John went straight to his office, sick or not Rodney would be working anyway so the quickest way to find him would be to check the office and then ask in the main Lab, he would have called but Rodney often took out his radio when he was busy. Rodney was lieing on the couch in their office napping with his hands folded over his stomach. John walked across quietly and sat down next to him stroking his hair to rouse him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"I can see that. Still feeling ill?"

"Yeah, I went to see Carson yesterday. He said he'd get back to me when he had done the blood work."

"That bad?"

"Not all the time but I knew you'd be happier if I went to him than if I let it fester."

"Too right. You want to head up and sleep in the bed rather than here?" He asked thinking how bad the couch was for Rodney's back.

"Yeah I guess." He said and heaved himself up.

John grabbed the radio when it started to beep, before it woke up Rodney.

"Yes?" He asked

"Colonel? It's Dr Beckett. Rodney came to see me the other day." The good doctor sounded odd on the phone.

"Yeah, he said. Is everything okay?" John asked.

"Oh grand lad. If you and Rodney could pop into the infirmry sometime though so I can have a word with you both about the results."

"But everythings fine?"

"Aye, just a small thing. Nothing urgent." John couldn't quiet place what that sound in his voice was, it worried him,

"Okay, we'll be there in a bit." He said and hung up wanting to get Rodney up and down there soon. He leant over him on the bed and shook him gently. He was out like a light though. John didn't want to be too rough, he looked around for a good way to wake him up. He eyes rested on the coffee pot. He smiled and stood padding quietly across the room to fill a mug with the smooth rich roast. He took it back and waved it carefully under his nose. He grinned and chuckled as the mans nose visably twiched and he began ot wake up and reach for the hot caffine. He pulled it out of reach not wanting Rodney to fumble and scold himself with his sleep befuddled hands.

"Dr Beckett rang, he has the results of your tests. Wants us to go down and see him about them." He said quietly.

"Mmm...coffee." Was the only response he got. He helped Rodney sit up and handed him the magical elixer of life. Once he'd finished the mug John took it and put it on the bedside table.

"Listening now?"

"Yes, sorry, go on."

"Dr Beckett called. He has your results. He wants us to go talk to him." Rodney perked up at that wanting to know why he was so tired all the time.

"Oh, okay, I'll get sorted and we can head straight down."

It took Rodney a matter of minutes to pull on a fresh shirt and shake the sleep out his eyes. John pulled his boots back on and they headed for the transporter.

Carson was stiching up Ronon's arm as they arrived the big man was having issues with getting his head around how Atlantis worked. He was more than a bit rough with the SOs when they spared and accidents kept happening. John was going to have to ban them from knife work until they could get it under control.

"Right with you, I'm almost finished here." He said putting in the final stitch on the silent runner. "Right, you lad, can go. But don't go pulling those stitches again. Your not bloody superman." Ronon grunted and walked out. The Scot turned to face his best friends. He face lit up with a beaming smile. "Come into my office." They followed him into the small room and sat down.

"So, whats up doctor?" John asked holding Rodney's hand protectivly.

"You can relax Colonel. I only asked you to come in so that I could see your faces when I told you. Rodney, the only thing different about you this week is that your pregnant."

Rodney's jaw dropped to the ground and John lept into the air punching it and wooping.

"What? Seriously?" Rodney asked.

"Yes, lad. Your tired cause you've got a little one to look after as well as yourself." Carson said with a grin.

"Rodney are you happy about this?" John asked worried by the lack of reaction.

"Of course I'm happy you idoit, we're going to have a kid. Ours, yours and mine. It's inside me now." Rodney said with a look of happy wonderment on his face. John couldn't help but lean down and kiss his husband.

"It's great isn't it? You know what else? It's going to be smart and beautiful. Just like it's dad."

"Yeah and then the american military are going to take it away from us." Rodney said his face dropping. Carson and John deflated at his words as well for a moment before John puffed back up.

"Well, looks like we have nine months to either get the law changed or have Atlantis go independent." John said carefully before pulling his husband to his feet and in to his arms. "We can do it." He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"Independence?" Dr Weir asked staring at the three department heads across from her. John shrugged.

"Yes, ma'am. This mission was supposed to be about colonisation but as things stand when our child is born it'll be shipped back to earth for military training. On average 80% of children born on Atlantis will be required to return to earth in one form or another." John explained. They had discuss this for the last week with Beckett, as a Scott he like Rodney had been raised by his parents with a couple of siblings and all living under one roof. They had reached the agreement that convincing the US to change their laws was over ambitious but that it might be possible for them to give special dispensation to Atlantis based citizens and for the international oversight committee to agree to a treaty governing Atlantis that would allow them to keep their kids. The first two hurdles though were to get first Dr Weir and then the rest of Atlantis on side.

"Colonel while I am aware that was the original purpose of this expedition, you have to admit the Pegasus galaxy is not what we expected. We found the wraith and the Genii and the Asurans. We regularly narrowly avert destruction." Weir sounded regretful which encouraged Rodney to continue.

"Elizabeth I read the SGC reports as much as you do. Earth's escapes destruction of one kind or another just as often and at least here we don't have the threat of war."

"Not to mention I have a more advanced medical facility than anything on earth, so any of the little ones that staid would receive the best medical care possible." Beckett add.

"Carson, you don't know how half that equipment in the infirmary works."

"Aye, but the stuff I do understand outstrips earth by years."

"I can see your all rather convinced of this."

"We are, Elizabeth. I want to keep my baby, I know other feel the same way. There's no over population here. There's no reason not too, not a good enough one for me. We want your support in taking this to the rest of Atlantis and eventually to the IOA and the SGC. Can you do that for us?" Dr Weir went quiet considering Rodney's request.

"Dr McKay, I can not support this large a change in policy for the sake of two men, even if I do consider you friends." She held up her hand to prevent their interruptions. "That said, you are correct that in those terms earth is under just as many if not more threats than we are and this was supposed to be a colonisation mission. A mission which I think many have forgotten over the last three years. I think it may be time to remind those people that colonisation requires a different form of law and government. Laws and systems of a society needing to reduce numbers and conserve resources have no place in colony attempting grow and establish itself so far away from home. So I will do my best to support and facilitate your cause." Rodney whooped and Beckett grinned widely.

"You had me for a moment their lass." JM just smiled softly.

"Thank you ma'am."

##########################

"So, that went well?" John asked Rodney as he beavered away at his computer in the office. The meeting had been hours ago and John had just finished looking over the military rota and caught up on his reports. There was never that much to do with EL keeping track of it.

"Yeah, but it's still a long way to go." Rodney grunted. "We need to talk to the whole of Atlantis and put together a complete charter proposal and then we'll have to get earth on side and we only have 8 months to do it all." John knew all this but at least they hadn't stumbled at the first hurdle.

"I know but Dr Weir will be a big help with that, she's the political one."

"It's not just about the children John. Its everything, if we're going to do this we need to open with a complete charter. The whole thing. Probably don't need much to cover commerce, but law and order, military and civilian life, rights, obligations the whole thing. That's a lot to decide on that quickly." Rodney abandoned the laptop for pacing the office.

"I know but I've emailed EL and asked him to organise a meeting for the senior officers tomorrow and one for all the military next week so that we can decide where we stand on the charter. I know you civilians can take longer to sort these things but we should have our side decided by the time you start your considerations." Rodney stared at his other half like he had just grown a second head.

"How can you decided in two weeks what you want for the rest of your lives?"

"Rodney, I'm going to have to push my people to actually give me inputs on this. Most of them will simply nod and agree to anything me and the other SOs agree. We don't have input for most of this. I'll tell you one thing, they aren't going to agree with disbandment. It is dangerous out here and we need to be our own entity. I'm hoping to convince them of increased integration not immediately but for our children. It makes sense to have joint classes for basic skills like writing and mathematics. I also want to introduce basic defence training for all children and adult civilians." John explained. Rodney was silent for a while.

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since I met Dr Jackson. He talked to me before we left about integration and it got me thinking. More since I met EL he came to the military late but he's one of the best officers I've met. I started to think integration in early years would work. I can't even conceive of a world where I don't see myself separate to civilians, but I think we can change that for our children."

"You never said anything..."

"Rodney, it was philosophy, thoughts nothing more. I'm an SO, you do the thinking I do the fighting. I never expected to be in this position but now that I am... I know that you scientists will try to do things like disband military segregation and I want us to have our say. I want the military to have a say in their lives here." John finished and looked up at Rodney.

"John, we wouldn't have done anything with out taking the military opinion in to account."

"How many of you would have accepted our choices as anything more than conditioned responses? How many of you would have allowed us to simply agree?" Rodney was quiet for a moment in honest realisation. They would have. They would have asked but all the military were anti-disbandment and almost all were against integration. They would have ignored those sentiments.

"I'm sorry John. Your right. Have your meeting tomorrow. We make our statement of intent to the whole expedition a week Friday, it's Wednesday now so your staff can discuss it in full before everyone knows. Then after your men have had time to think we can talk with them about it and we can make sure their voices are heard." John walked around his desk and embraced the pregnant man.

"Thanks Rodney." He whispered into his loves ear.


	3. Chapter 3

John closed his laptop.  
“Well, my meeting is at two." He said looking at his watch “So, I’m going to talk to EL now and we may run quiet late in to the evening we’ve got a lot to cover before tomorrow general announcement. You need to eat though so I’ve talked to Dr Beckett, he’s going to meet you for dinner at 6 and come and find you if you don’t show up. He said you two could do with catching up anyway.” He got through the whole lot with out giving Rodney the chance to interrupt.  
“I don’t need a babysitter.” the genius grumbled “I can eat all by myself like a big boy.”  
“I don’t question your capability, just your memory. I know your working on that energy bridge problem and when your working on something good you tend to loose track of time. Can’t have that when your eating for two. Plus it will put your dear Husbands mind at ease.” Rodney waved him off with tacit agreement. He kissed him on the top of the head and walked out leaving him to his work.  
___________________________________________________________________________

At 6 Beckett came round to find McKay and drag him to the dining room. After they loaded their trays they found a small table in one corner out of the hustle and bustle.  
“So how are you doing, Rodney?” Beckett asked .  
“Fine, I’m eating and sleeping. Stop nagging.” Rodney said loading up his fork with mountains of mash potatoes.   
“I don’t mean your health. Your becoming a father for the first time. How’s that going?” he asked leaning forward in interest.  
“I don’t know. I want this but I don’t know how to do this. My parents were terrible, I hated them.” Rodney said thinking back to the long hours of moaning and neglect. His canceled piano lessons and looking after his sister.  
“Your parents didn’t have a choice. You do. Your already choosing your children, fighting for them even before they’re born.” Carson tried to reassure him having put down his knife and fork distracted by the conversation.  
“I should have been fighting for them when I signed that contract. I didn’t think I’d care, my parents didn’t. I signed away two of my children to be raised alone on a different planet.” Rodney was starring at his food no longer eating either.  
“You didn’t know JM back then. Currently we have six babies all of which will be shipping back to earth when they reach six months. Four of them will be going into the military, the other two into the American civil service. Most people here are not yet parents, and they’re all intelligent. Most likely a large proportion of children not claimed at birth most will be taken anyway when they turn 6 and take the aptitude test. Many people don’t have an issue with that but they deserve a choice at least. You’re starting the fight for that choice. If that isn’t a good start I don’t know what is.” Carson finished and quiet settled over them again and they turned back to their food.  
“But what if we keep them and they end up hating us for it?” Rodney said finally.  
“Rodney your parents, your family can’t be all bad. Don’t you have a sister?” Carson asked, it always saddened Carson how few happy memories of family his friend had. He loved his mum and gran and all his siblings. He had such a great childhood and he knew they all loved him too, even if he hadn’t seen much of them since joining the Stargate program.  
“Yeah, we don’t talk though, not since I moved to the states. She sends me Christmas cards though.” He didn’t open them though. For all she knew he could be dead.  
“What’s she doing these days?”  
“She got married at 16 and decided to be a stay at home parent when she found out she was pregnant. I told her she was throwing away her career...” He went quiet starring at his dessert. He wasn’t sure he wanted it. That must have been the pregnancy hormones, never has Rodney not wanted pudding.  
“Do you still think that?” Carson asked carefully.  
“She was brilliant. She was only allowed to stay at home because she hadn’t actually started anything yet.” He said not really explaining.  
“Maybe you should get hold of her. See how she’s doing? That might help you. She had the same upbringing.”  
“I don’t know if she’d take my call. I burnt a lot of bridges there.” Rodney barely whispered on the verge of tears thinking about his little sister who he had left behind and forgotten so much over the years.  
“In my experience lad, when if comes to family the bridges are made of sturdier stuff than wood.”   
___________________________________________________________________________

“Your talking about mutiny.” was the first response to JM’s opening speech. The Sergeant had always been stickler for protocol.  
“It’s not mutiny. We are talking about a change of policy. This is supposed to be a colony. How can we do that when 80% of our children are being taken? We have the where withal to train, raise, teach and protect children here.” JM said clearly and firmly. Major EL motioned for him to sit down in hopes of calming down the building tension in the room.  
“I think we can all agree that if the others are okay with this then we can go along with the kids staying." He mediated. “I believe the more pressing issue is the move towards integration.”  
“We all know you and the Colonel support it we’ve seen him in his civvies and the way Miss Emagen address you both, but some of us are happy being military.” Snarled Captain DK.  
“The Athosian’s have different customs. In their culture to use a person’s initial is a deep insult. She is my friend and I consider her as she does me, a fellow warrior. We live in a different galaxy. There aren’t many of us here. We must share our lives with the civilians around us. I will not force anyone to do something they disagree with. If you think you can maintain emotional distance from these civilians then continue but I see no further harm in integration and I certainly see no issue in disbandment for our children.” Many around the table clearly did not agree whole heatedly, or at least wanted some time to think about the points made. One face though held no doubt.   
“I know I would like to keep my children.” This support came from the newly engaged Lt. LC, Beckett’s finance. “I don’t care about names or having a separate commissary. Half of us are SO’s. Our military up bringing and distance was important back on earth where we had to be ready to go to war and die for civilians. Here we go into battle shoulder with them. There is no distance anymore.” She said it simply, in a manner of fact way that brooked no argument.  
“That is one point. We need to give anyone going off world physical and side arm training. Some of them are a danger to themselves.” EL said calmly. “Adding some of that in to lessons for the children would be good to. At least to start with numbers are going to be too small to support us running separate classes .” JM held up his hand to stop this line of thought. Now he had everyone will to discuss and not dismiss out of hand it was time to get properly down to business.  
“We have a lot to discuss. We need to take this one point at a time. First lets start with those concern affecting the day-to-day of the military personnel of Atlantis. Settle in I want to cover all of this at least once before eleven tomorrow.” Back on the agenda they dug in and started to make progress.  
___________________________________________________________________________

Weir took a stand on the balcony looking down over the expedition. With her stood JM, Dr McKay and Dr Beckett, JM looked tired the meeting had gone on late into the night with them finally reaching a consensus on the ability for the military personnel to choose.  
“Thank you all for coming. As some of you will know we have already had six births here on Atlantis and we have a further four children on the way. As things stand all of these children will be removed from Atlantis when they reach six months. This has brought to light the need for change. We came here to start an off-world colony, to build a new home for all of humanity. In light of that we intend to write a charter of independence for Atlantis. This would cover all aspects of governance but primarily would state that any child whose parents wish to keep and raise it would be allowed to stay here and be part of this new colony.” There was a susurration among the crowd.  
“I know this is a lot to take in everyone. We want everyone to have a say in the writing of this charter. We will be coordinating through the heads of departments who will all be holding meetings in the next week. If you have any further issues beyond those addressed in the meetings please feel free to bring them to me or any other of the senior staff.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit short. I trying to get through rewrites of some other old work for posting as well. I promise that I will try to keep updating though I have no idea where the next chapter of this is going I'm sure when I sit down something will happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay on this chapter, as I said at the end of the previous one I wasn’t sure where it was going. Well with careful consideration its going here. I’m sorry it’s short but that really is all I’ve got at the moment. I’m working on another fic quiet seriously and I will continue this as and when I can think of what to do with it. I have however started on the next part of the series as it’s easier to write. Stay with me it will come!

Rodney was sick of this, sitting on mats panting twice a week was driving him insane but not as much as being told he wasn’t allowed to go to earth for the final negotiations. He was due in less than a month and could pop any day but he’d been a main player in writing the declaration of colonisation as they were calling it. They had slogged through all the contradictory suggestions and the wild ideas to given by the whole expedition and settled on a simple set of regulations covering personal rights, including those surrounding family, criminal behaviour and sentencing, education including for now infant and young children and higher education (they were hoping to start running college classes to allow particularly the military to learn more about the cities technology, the ancient language and more generally widen peoples knowledge and provide more redundancy in knowledge). Finally they had to declare their position on citizenship and immigration.  
They had decided to allow all permanent members of the expedition to claim Lantean citizenship on the day the declaration went into effect, any temporary members would have to apply and would be considered on the basis of the length of their time there up to that point and the length of their temporary placement, with special consideration given for those with partners with citizenship or who were pregnant. They were hoping that those who chose to become Lanteans would be allowed to hold on to dual citizenship with their original homes, but that was part of the negotiation.  
Which Rodney would be missing but John wouldn’t. That niggled at Rodney even more. John had to go. They had to present the military side of the issue as the military of Atlantis were about to be placed in the odd position of being a dual citizenship military. They would answer to Atlantis but be free to transfer at will home to the US. Any forced transfers could occur with the approval of the Atlantis leaders. However with integration came a large loss of control for the US military and they could just pull all their people. They hoped desperately that it wouldn’t come to that. Rodney knew that the military personal had a contingency plan but John wouldn’t tell him what it was and that scared Rodney.   
So here Rodney was sat on a mat panting and wishing he wasn’t facing the chance of giving birth with out John, he hadn’t even made it to the small pregnancy yoga and childbirth class that week, he was busy trying to nail down curriculum and nursery arrangements with Elizabeth.  
___________________________________________________________________________

John was tired. Tired of not being able to spend time with Rodney, not having a moments peace from the rest of the military and plans. Most of all he was tired of being the one they looked to. If not he could have left going off world for someone who didn’t have an expectant husband. He hadn’t even been able to go to the classes with Rodney thanks to having to finish details for the declaration.  
This was important though, he was going to the infirmary now to meet his husband for a final scan before he left. Normally they wouldn’t have had one this late but John had asked Beckett and he’d agreed. Rodney was meeting him there. He just had to dodge anyone who might need him for anything before he got there. He went straight to the transporter and headed to the second closest spot to the infirmary, the closest was too close to the control room for him to risk. Approaching from the less used side of the floor he heard Rodney before he saw him.  
“No! We decided not to find out the sex. Don’t ask me why but for some ridiculous reason my nonsensical husband wants to be surprised.” He was ranting at Beckett who was bringing around the ultrasound.  
“Fine Rodney, I was just asking. Couples change their minds all the time.” Becket was desperately trying to calm the man. John knew his partner was struggling and wished he would stop taking it out on other people. John was the one who should be there for he and wasn’t, he deserved the anger not Carson.  
“Hey, be nice to the doctor Rodney.” John said approaching the bed.  
“John, you made it.” Rodney said brightening a bit but still seeming tired. “Your all packed?” He asked sadly.  
“Yes and I have the list of stuff to pick up on earth for the little one. Have we decided on names yet Rodney?” John asked seriously, he’d been making suggestions for weeks and Rodney had got so annoyed he’d insisted he choose the names.  
“I’m still thinking about it.” He said sitting up and pulling up his shirt. “I have a couple of ideas for each but I’ll get there before you leave.” Carson applied cold gel and brought out the wand. The image on the screen formed showing the small life growing inside Rodney so clearly John wanted to reach in and pick it up now. The idea of missing the first moments of its life was devastating. Rodney watched as Carson talked about the little man and they saw him kick. John saw it and knew straight away that it wouldn’t matter, that child was already his and nothing would change that. He looked up at Rodney and saw that he was looking at him rather than the baby on the monitor.   
“I’ve decided on names.” He said gulping.  
“Okay. Go on.” John wanted to know.  
“If it’s a girl Eleanor for my mom and if it’s a boy David for your brother.” John was surprised. “Are those okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m just surprised you want to use family names.” Rodney took his hand and stroked it.  
“This is about us starting a family, I want our kid to feel like it has more history than just us however good or bad that history is.” John loved Rodney. How could you not love a man like that? He was amazing and carrying his child.   
“I love you so much right now and I really wish I didn’t just remember I need to go sort packing the jumper.” Rodney’s face dropped.  
“Go, go. I’ll see you when you get back.” He said with a wave and a smile. John went to leave then turned on his heel.  
“Wait, one last thing.” He said going back over to the bed and pulling Rodney into a fierce kiss leaving him reeling as he walked away waving.

An hour later Rodney watched from the control room as John disappeared through the gate in the jumper, with him went all their hopes for the future and all of Rodney’s love.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, taking a while to write this now. I'm having to think about it a lot and I can't promise it will ever pick up but I am still writing and loving these characters and everything that happens. I don't like to ask for reviews and such but particularly if your reading it a while past the posting date of the last chapter do review or kudos or whatever as it guilts me into getting on with writing it. I've lost this story for over a year before but people reviewing always brings me back and I love coming back to it every time.

This wasn’t going well. John was still stuck on earth three days later. The talks had stalled on discussions of personnel exchange. The IOA and SGC were insisting on them sending back any genius born to parents with citizenship of an earth colony with a genius program for which they could not allocate an appropriate SO candidate at birth. Obviously that was unacceptable and they were arguing instead for exchange at age twelve when undoubtedly they would have geniuses whose specialities would be better suited to earth and in exchange they would receive any needed SOs. The military were refusing to commit to sending any further personnel unless they repealed any and all integrationist policies. He was just about loosing it in that briefing room.  
He breathed a sigh of relief as Dr Jackson approached him.  
“JS.” He sounded pleased to see him. John liked the man and always felt better about what he was trying to do when he spoke to him. “They’ve called a break till tomorrow.” John groaned, the stalling tactics were the worst, he needed to get home. “I thought I might have something for you in the mean time.” John looked up interested. “Dr Beckett emailed me last week and said how Rodney wished he could have seen his sister to reconnect before the baby came. Now obviously I can’t get him here, but I was thinking we still have the tape Rodney put together last year during the seige, I think she might appreciate seeing it and meeting you and you could get a tape of her and take it back to Rodney.” John was beaming at the doctor by the end of it.  
“That sounds great, it would mean the world to Rodney to talk to her again, even if it’s by video. Wait, does she have clearance?”  
“Yes, actually she’s fairly brilliant and before she took time to focus on her family she had been cleared so that she could be brought into the SGC. That was another part of this. If you looking for colonists she might be perfect. Her husband is a teacher, they’re Canadian so there wouldn’t be much issue with the new independent Atlantis and she would certainly be an asset to the city.”  
“One step at a time Dr Jackson. I think lets see how they get along before we stick them in the same city. I know you want to get to Atlantis but not everyone feels the same way. I thought they lived in Toronto though, how am I supposed to get there and back before tomorrow?”  
“Well, first you need to look a little less... stargatish and then I had Jack pull a few strings so the Daedalus is going to beam you there and back on your signal. Just don’t go beaming out of anywhere to public.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

Oh god, oh god, oh god. NO, nonononononono. This was not happening now! Not like this. He was supposed to be here! Rodney can’t do this. He can’t it’ll just have to wait till John gets back. Yeah that’s what he’ll do. He’ll call Becket and make him stop it till John got back. He reached out an picked up his radio.  
“Carson. Carson I need you to make it stop. I need you to stop it right now.”  
“Rodney?” Carson asked blurry having just been woken at half three in the morning Atlantis time. “What do you need me to stop?”  
“It’s coming Carson and I can’t do this with out John so I just need you to make it stop.” Rodney was in full on panic.  
“Okay, Rodney I need ya to breath. I’ll be there in two ticks and we’ll get you all sorted out. It’s going to be fine. Just breath for me alright. I’m going to stay on the radio while I get myself there.” He sat up and swung out of bed causing Laura to shift a little and wake. “It’s alright dear. Rodney’s in labour so I need to go help him.”  
“You better get there quick with the Major off world he’s going to be loosing it.”  
“You hear that Rodney, Laura thinks your loosing it.” Suddenly Rodney was more focuses he was not going to have that she fiend laughing at him.  
“I think I’m coping remarkably well for a someone with no biological programming for giving birth going into labour with out my other parent in a strange galaxy in the middle of the night with no reassurance whether I will or not get to keep this kid past six months.” Rodney ranted.  
“Oh, go suck lemons!” Cadman shouted at him through Carson’s radio. Carson smiled at his other half, they both knew that Rodney did better when riled up. He had finished dressing and pulled his shoes on.  
“I’m going out the door now, Rodney, just stay with me.” He said leaning over to give Laura a peck before moving out the door.  
___________________________________________________________________________

John took a deep breath holding himself together carefully and knocked on the door. He heard a squeal and small feet scuttling on the floor before the door opened to reveal a little blonde girl with curls in her hair. Behind her hurried a woman with matching curls.  
“Madison, how many times? Don’t open the door to strangers!” She cried swooping down and picking up the happy little girl. “Sorry,” She said turning her attention to John, “can I help you?”  
“Hi, I’m Lt Col JM with the US Airforce. I... well this is hard. The M stands for McKay, I’m married to your brother, Rodney. He wanted to come but he can’t travel currently and I was in the area so I really wanted to meet you.” He rambled.  
“Wait, Mer got married?! To you? An SO?” John was taken aback, he had assumed someone had informed her of all this given she had clearance with the program.  
“Yeah, about a year ago now. I... I guess I should tell you, he can’t travel because he’s pregnant, pretty far along.”  
“So why are you here and not with him?”  
“Well, we want to keep our baby and to do that we needed to negotiate with the IOA and the USAF and I had to come back for that. Like I said Rodney really wanted to see you before the birth, he’s really worried about being a parent, we both are. Since I couldn’t bring him to you I thought I could bring you a message he recorded a while back before the pregnancy when we thought we were in trouble and maybe you could give me something to take back to him?” It was then she realised she still had him standing in the doorway.  
“Yes, of course. Come in. How long can you stay?” She asked stepping to one side and waving him in.  
“Er, now very but I’ve got a while.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

“Okay, Rodney. We’re at the infirmary now and I’m here and your contractions are very close together. The baby looks fine, no complications so I need you to push for me Rodney.” Carson knew this was hard and he hated how lost and tired his friend looked. “I wish we could wait for John too but the bairn needs you now Rodney. So Push." Rodney nodded finally and with the next contraction he pushed. It was only later that Carson realised that was the first time he call the SO John.  
___________________________________________________________________________

John couldn’t believe what this meant to him sat talking to Rodney’s sister watching how she was with Madison and feeling so relaxed in a house for the first time ever. She had watched the video and cried a little and then comforted John about leaving Rodney at such an important time.  
“Well, there was something I wanted to ask you. If the work we’re putting in now pans out we should be able to start taking colonists. With you background in physics, your husbands position as a teacher and your family ties to Rodney you guys would be great and I know it would mean a lot to Rodney to have you close. I’ll admit I only just met you and the idea of not seeing my niece again for a while is hard.” John said when she came back from putting Madison down.  
“Wow! Move to Atlantis?! I...I’ll need to think about it. I mean it’s not exactly safe is it?” John knew that was always going to be a problem in convincing colonists.  
“Well, the wraith are still an issue but then so are the Lucien alliance in this galaxy, I think in the grand scheme of things its about as bad every where. What’s different is that we’re going to have the best of the best teachers and the chance to grow up in the city of the ancients, they’re going to have chances beyond anything they’ll get here. Particularly the first generation before the schooling gets nailed down, we’re going to have to put them in apprenticeships and in the labs much earlier. You can’t tell me that’s not worth a small increase in risk.”  
“You really have the charming saleman down JM.” John smiled at her. She’d started saying it like ‘JiM’ and he though he liked that. It felt like his own version of Rodney’s Mer and she had made him feel one of the family all night.  
“I don’t know whether to feel complimented or insulted. I’m sorry for coming on strong, I think knowing I could be missing the birth is making me a bit clingy to the idea of family. I don’t have anyone myself.” He admitted.  
“You don’t even know who they are?”  
“No, I my father made sure to turn up a while back and disown me.” He grumped.  
“I’m sorry, I found a great poem back when I was pregnant. It starts ‘They fuck you up, your mum and dad.’ Not the strongest on family values but it’s fairly true and the only way to not mess up your kids is not to have them. So there’s no point wondering and worrying about how your going to fuck them up. You can just avoid the obvious ones from your parents. So I’m sorry that happened to you, but your already trying to make sure you don’t do the same to your kid.”  
“Yeah, sorry, I’ve dumped a lot on you tonight and I need to get going.” John said standing up.  
“No, don’t worry about it. Here,” she handed him a memory stick “I filmed bed time and Maddy said goodnight to both of you. We’ll talk about moving, us and you guys, I’m going to send more videos and I want to get some back. Maddy wants to see her new cousin. So JM I will hear from you and don’t be too hard on yourselves.” She walked him to the door and watched in awe as he disappeared in a beam on light rather than out the door.  
___________________________________________________________________________

Rodney was screaming until suddenly the pressure let off. He stared down in wonder at Carson. He was smiling that was good right. Then suddenly there was screaming again and it was coming from the baby.  
“That’s good right?”  
“Perfect Rodney.” He said picking him up having finished cleaning it and cutting the cord. “He’s absolutely perfect.” He handed the bundle to Rodney.  
“He?”  
“Aye, it’s a boy, lad.” He chuckled at the shell shock on Rodney’s face at the new life in his arms.  
“Hi, I guess I’m your dad little David.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

“They fuck you up, your mum and dad.  
They may not mean to, but they do.  
They fill you with the faults they had  
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn  
By fools in old-style hats and coats,  
Who half the time were soppy-stern  
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.  
It deepens like a coastal shelf.  
Get out as early as you can,  
And don't have any kids yourself.” 

― Philip Larkin


End file.
